GM Expands Buckle to Drive Tech in 2021 Models
General Motors is planning to include its safety-enhancing Buckle to Drive technology with more vehicles in the upcoming model year.
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For 2020, GM added Buckle to Drive to models like the Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Malibu, and Chevrolet Traverse as part of its popular Teen Driver system.
According to a GM Authority report, this feature is coming to the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 for the 2021 model year. It’s also been confirmed for the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette and will likely show up in Buick and GMC models as well.
With Buckle to Drive activated, a driver who starts the vehicle is prevented from shifting out of park if his or her seat belt is unfastened. Instead, a “Buckle Seat Belt to Shift” message shows up in the gauge cluster. To shift into drive or reverse, the driver must heed the message and buckle up.
Buckle to Drive does time out after 20 seconds, leaving a big loophole for young drivers who are determined to set out with their seat belts unbuckled. Parents who use this feature with their teens should plan on pairing it with additional guidelines and supervision to ensure that safe driving practices are being followed.
Buckle to Drive only works when the Teen Driver system is turned on. It can also be deactivated within that system if it’s not needed.
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Teen Driver also offers a wide array of other features to give parents more peace of mind. Using an infotainment system interface, parents can set a maximum allowed speed, activate speed warnings, and limit the audio system’s volume. If a teen needs extra reminders about seat belt use, there’s even a feature that mutes the audio system until both front belts have been buckled.
A PIN access system ensures that parents can maintain control over the settings they choose. And once a teen driver’s trip is finished, parents can access driving report cards to make sure that guidelines are being followed.
Teen Driver is a convenient way for parents to guide beginners behind the wheel, and the expanded availability of Buckle to Drive is sure to make this system an even more helpful tool.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.